Here's how much learning South African children lost in the pandemic
Administrative data show that children in South Africa missed at least three-quarters of a year of school in the past two school years.
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Administrative data show that children in South Africa missed at least three-quarters of a year of school in the past two school years.
In response to the COVID pandemic, the government declared a state of disaster. This saw school closing for extended periods and this severely affected learners as they lost out on valuable learning time.
When a state of disaster was declared in South Africa in 2020 in response to the COVID pandemic, a hard lockdown was instituted and schools were shut. This was followed by varying periods of lockdowns, school closure and rotational timetables to maintain social distancing across different grades. Administrative data show that children in South Africa missed at least three-quarters of a year of school in the past two school years. This reduced their opportunities to learn and allowed more time to forget what they had learnt.
Time out of school erased a year’s worth of schooling for public school learners in South Africa.